June 22, 2009 
 Soul Food Newsletter
 Women Nurturing Women
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Photo by Kevin Krayna

Summertime...and the livin' is easy,
Summertime...and the cotton is high.
Cole Porter

I'm not sure about the cotton, but I can tell you the corn is doing very well. And I think the livin' is about to get easier. So far the summer has been very busy.

May was a very busy month with the end of the school year. I went to many track meets and other end of school activities. Over Memorial Day Weekend, I had the extraordinary opportunity to co- facilitate a retreat for six adult siblings. They wanted to improve communication between them and set up a plan for their aging parents. The retreat was at the YMCA camp in Estes Park, one of my favorite places.

Then the weekend after Memorial Day, I took my Girl Scout troop tent camping at Magic Sky Ranch, which is almost to the Wyoming State Line. What a great weekend! We played games and the girls ran around and yelled as much as they wanted to. We didn't see much wildlife, at least not the four legged kind. I was so pleased with the girls; they did a great job of helping and did all the cooking and dishwashing. They didn't even complain about the rain and cold

As soon as Malaika and I got back, we left for Wisconsin to celebrate my dad's surprise 80th birthday. So I do indeed know that the corn is doing well after driving through Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin!

Yesterday was Father's Day. I hope you celebrated in some way. Malaika and I took Richard to breakfast and then let him go on a 50 mile bike ride. I took Malaika to Woodland Park for a 6-day Girl Scout horse camp. So it's oddly quite around our house, but a welcome change.

I hope you are having a great summer so far! Enjoy the week.

 Surprise!
 The difference of one life.

My dad, Bob, is a simple guy. He finshed high school and then went into the Army and was part of the occupation of Germany after the Second World War. When he left the Army, he came back to Wisconsin and found a job working in a factory. Bob met my mom when they were both 45 and they dated for two years. When they got married, it was Bob's first marriage. Not only did he marry Mom, but he also married four kids and mother-in-law and a dog. That's a lot of love.

They spent the next 22 yeares together. Bob became our dad. Of course, all the kids got married and Mom and Bob were delighted to have grandchildren.

When my mom was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehring's Disease) we were devastated. Never once did Bob falter in his love and caring for my mom. He was at her side the moment she died, as were my sister and I. In the ten years since Mom's death, Bob has remained our "Dad" and "Grandpa" and has seen the great- grandchild my mom never saw.

So when my sister said we should give him a surprise party for this 80th birthday, how could we say no? Thus began seven months of planning and secrecy to match the D- day Invasion. On the day of the party, ironically June 6th, he still had no idea. The day was cold and rainy, but that didn't spoil anything. Sixty people came to the party. Now it is true that Bob is related to half of Waukesha and Jeffereson Counties, but his grandchildren and great-grandchildren came from Texas and Colorado. Army buddies came from Ilinois and Texas. My aunt's children came from Illinois and Ohio. His brothers, nieces, nephews and their families came. I saw people I hadn't seen for years. It was an incredible event and he was totally surprised. The look on his face was priceless.

When I talked to him yesterday, he said he still couldn't believe it, that all those people came to his party. And those who couldn't attend sent cards to him. All for a simple, hard-working man who touched many lives.

Not all of us will be famous or rich. But never underestimate the impact you have on the people around you. You make a difference just by being the person you are. And you are loved for it.


 


 Memorial Day and Labor Day.
 Why only once a year?

Traditionally, summer falls between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It's full of parades, festivals, fireworks and barbecues. But I don't think Memorial Day and Labor Day should be remembered only once a year. I have a lot of both days.

One of my first Memorial Days was the day my sister was born. I was almost 10 and had two brothers, but this was the first time I really understood what was happening. And I finally had a sister. Another Memorial Day was the day our adoption of Malaika was finalized and her birth certificate said I was her mother. Then there was sitting with my dad and sister early in the morning, holding my mom's hand as she took her last breath. And a triumphant Memorial Day when I stood on top of Pike's Peak after a 13.2 mile hike.

Then there are Labor Days. For many, including me, that means bringing a child into the world and raising that child. For me, it's getting an undergraduate and graduate degree. A huge Labor Day was the day I passed my clinical licensing test.

To me every day is Memorial Day and Labor Day, because every memory and every labor, good or bad, has brought me to this place and this time. And it's all good.


 


 Sue McCullough Counseling
 Go The Distance...Because Passion Takes Time

I will use authenticity and integrity to illuminate your path of self-discovery as you find and act on your passion. I will reframe situations and see alternatives to help you overcome obstacles and enjoy the journey.

My specialties include

Mental Health Issues:
  • Anxiety
  • Trauma
  • Depression
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Secondary Traumatic Stress
Personal and Career Coaching:
  • Spiritual Growth
  • Quality of life improvement
  • Creative Coaching in art, writing and music
Women's Issues:
  • Midlife personal and professional changes
  • Transition back into the workplace
  • Mother-daughter relationships
  • Infertility and adoption
Adolescents

Psych-K - a dynamic paradigm for change.

700 Front Street, Suite 204
Louisville
303-665-2676
Hours by appointment.


 


Grace and Peace,

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